What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 10, 2024, about 0843 central daylight time, an Air tractor AT-802, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Hickory Valley, Tennessee. The airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 137 aerial application flight.
The pilot reported that he departed bolivar Tennessee to spray fields about 6 miles to the southwest. The airmen had made multiple passes over the target fields when the airmen noticed the fuel flow was lower than he had set. The airmen pushed the power lever forward to increase power and the engine began to lose power. The airmen then pushed the power and condition levers to the forward stops in an attempt to regain power, but the engine continued to "roll back." He jettisoned the aerial application payload in the hopper and initiated a forced landing. The airplane impacted a hay field and bounced on a slight uphill section before coming to rest.
Post accident examination of the aircraft found substantial damage to the engine mounts and fuselage. The FAA inspectors were able to confirm continuity of controls from the flight controls in the cockpit to the respective flight control surfaces. FAA inspectors were able to establish continuity of the throttle control from the control in the cockpit to the actuator on the fuel control unit, which moved from stop to stop.
The pilot reported that he departed with about 88 gallons of jet-a aviation fuel in each of the wing tanks and that the airmen had been using the same supply of fuel for the previous day's operations. The airmen also reported that the fuel was sumped the morning of the accident flight and no contamination was noted.
Review of data downloaded from the engine indicating system showed that about 26 minutes after the recording began and about 10 minutes after takeoff, the fuel flow began to drop. It dropped from about 82 gallons per hour to about 11 gallons per hour over 24 seconds. The torque, propeller RPM, and gas generator speed all began to drop coincident with the decreased fuel flow until the end of the data.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2024, ABOUT 0843 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-802, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR HICKORY VALLEY, TENNESSEE. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED BOLIVAR TENNESSEE TO SPRAY FIELDS ABOUT 6 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE AIRMEN HAD MADE MULTIPLE PASSES OVER THE TARGET FIELDS WHEN THE AIRMEN NOTICED THE FUEL FLOW WAS LOWER THAN HE HAD SET. THE AIRMEN PUSHED THE POWER LEVER FORWARD TO INCREASE POWER AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE AIRMEN THEN PUSHED THE POWER AND CONDITION LEVERS TO THE FORWARD STOPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN POWER, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO "ROLL BACK." HE JETTISONED THE AERIAL APPLICATION PAYLOAD IN THE HOPPER AND INITIATED A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A HAY FIELD AND BOUNCED ON A SLIGHT UPHILL SECTION BEFORE COMING TO REST.
POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND FUSELAGE. THE FAA INSPECTORS WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM CONTINUITY OF CONTROLS FROM THE FLIGHT CONTROLS IN THE COCKPIT TO THE RESPECTIVE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. FAA INSPECTORS WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTINUITY OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL FROM THE CONTROL IN THE COCKPIT TO THE ACTUATOR ON THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT, WHICH MOVED FROM STOP TO STOP.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED WITH ABOUT 88 GALLONS OF JET-A AVIATION FUEL IN EACH OF THE WING TANKS AND THAT THE AIRMEN HAD BEEN USING THE SAME SUPPLY OF FUEL FOR THE PREVIOUS DAY'S OPERATIONS. THE AIRMEN ALSO REPORTED THAT THE FUEL WAS SUMPED THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT AND NO CONTAMINATION WAS NOTED.
REVIEW OF DATA DOWNLOADED FROM THE ENGINE INDICATING SYSTEM SHOWED THAT ABOUT 26 MINUTES AFTER THE RECORDING BEGAN AND ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE FUEL FLOW BEGAN TO DROP. IT DROPPED FROM ABOUT 82 GALLONS PER HOUR TO ABOUT 11 GALLONS PER HOUR OVER 24 SECONDS. THE TORQUE, PROPELLER RPM, AND GAS GENERATOR SPEED ALL BEGAN TO DROP COINCIDENT WITH THE DECREASED FUEL FLOW UNTIL THE END OF THE DATA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.